We want to publicly thank Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker for being among the 37 senators who opposed the Fast Track bill in the U.S. Senate on Friday.
The national AFL-CIO and the New Jersey State Federation continue to lead the fight to stop Fast Track, federal legislation that would give the President too much power to negotiate trade deals. Senators Menendez and Booker courageously stood with labor – and all working families – and bucked President Obama, who has been lobbying aggressively to gain expedited trade negotiating authority.
As both the national AFL-CIO and New Jersey State Federation know from witnessing the devastating effects of prior global trade deals, this agreement would benefit big business and boost Obama’s legacy, but with disastrous consequences for domestic job growth and working-class families.
We did not prevail in the Senate, so the fight for sustainable domestic jobs now shifts to the House, where next month’s vote is expected to be tight. The AFL-CIO and the New Jersey State Federation plan to continue the dialogue to stop this bad bill. But we need your help! As President Obama steps up his lobbying efforts on behalf of the bill, we need to redouble our efforts to defeat Fast Track. Please take a few minutes to tell your member of Congress that you oppose Fast Track by CLICKING HERE.
Representatives of the AFL-CIO and State Federation have been meeting regularly in Washington since January with members of the state’s Congressional delegation to discuss the many negative effects of Fast Track. As our efforts continue, we hope yours will too. We need all of our voices to stop Fast Track.